Henry V (1944) Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio Laurence Olivier's production of Shakespeare's Henry V adds some creative and colorful touches to Olivier's usual fine performance in the lead role. Like the play itself, it's not as deep as the best of Olivier's Shakespeare films, but it works quite well and is an entertaining movie. In the early scenes, the movie combines the play itself with a very detailed look at how the play would have been staged in Shakespeare's own day. It's very interesting, and is nicely done. It takes advantage of the slower parts in the early scenes to draw attention to the stage, the players, and the crowd, giving you a very good feel for what the theater was like then. Olivier also uses this device to liven up considerably the long historical discourse of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the play's second scene. After the early scenes, when the real action begins, the movie wisely pulls away from the theater setting and concentrates on the story itself. Olivier is always good in this kind of role, and the photography and settings do a good job of setting off the action.

It is noticeable, though, that Olivier chose to omit several scenes or portions of scenes that have some of the commands showing Henry's harsher characteristics, so that the movie concentrates much more on the king's heroic side. What's left still works fine, but it does lose a little depth without this balance. The rest of the cast is certainly adequate, though most of them are overshadowed by Henry. A couple of the exceptions are Robert Newton, very well cast as Pistol, and Esmond Knight, who works well as Fluellen. Some minor aspects may keep it from being one of the best Shakespeare adaptations, but it's creative, distinctive, and good entertainment. You can rarely go wrong with anything that combines Olivier and Shakespeare. Was the above review useful to you? Henry V (1944 film) Henry V (1944 film) £475,708 (or $2 million) [2] [3] Box office over $2 million [4] Henry V is a 1944 British Technicolor film adaptation of William Shakespeare ‘s play of the same name .

The on-screen title is The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France (the title of the 1600 quarto edition of the play). It stars Laurence Olivier , who also directed. The play was adapted for the screen by Olivier, Dallas Bower, and Alan Dent . The score is by William Walton . The film begins as a recreation of a stage production of the play in the Globe Theatre , then gradually turns into a stylised cinematic rendition of the play, with sets reminiscent of a medieval Book of Hours . It follows the overall pattern of Shakespeare’s play, depicting Henry’s campaign in France, through the siege of Harfleur . The film then shows the Battle of Agincourt in a real setting, after which the film quickly begins to revert to backdrops that are once again more and more like medieval illuminated manuscripts. We then see the negotiations for Treaty of Troyes and Henry’s courtship of Princess Katherine followed by their marriage. At the end of the scene, the setting reverts to the Globe Playhouse and the audience applauding. The film was made near the end of World War II and was intended as a morale booster for Britain.

Consequently, the film was partly funded by the British government. The film was originally “dedicated to the ‘Commandos and Airborne Troops of Great Britain the spirit of whose ancestors it has been humbly attempted to recapture.’” The movie won Olivier an Academy Honorary Award for “his Outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director in bringing Henry V to the screen.” Olivier’s Henry V is widely considered the first Shakespeare film to be both artistically and commercially successful. Contents 7 External links Plot We see a panorama of London in 1600 and travel to the Globe Theatre where the audience is being seated. The Chorus ( Leslie Banks ) enters and implores the audience to use their imagination to visualise the setting of the play. We then see, up on a balcony, two clergymen, The Archbishop of Canterbury ( Felix Aylmer ), and the Bishop of Ely ( Robert Helpmann ) discussing the current affairs of state. Henry ( Laurence Olivier ) then enters, and discusses with his nobles the state of France. A gift is delivered to Henry from the French Dauphin . The gift turns out to be tennis balls, a jibe at Henry’s youth and inexperience.

Offended, Henry sends the French ambassador away, and prepares to claim the French throne, a throne that he believes is rightfully his. We then see characters from Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays: Corporal Nym (Frederick Cooper), Bardolph ( Roy Emerton ), and Pistol ( Robert Newton ). These characters resolve to join Henry’s army, however, before they do, Falstaff ( George Robey ), another returning character, and one of the King’s former mentors, dies. At this point, the film gradually ceases to be located in the Globe Theatre; instead the scenes are performed in stylised film sets reminiscent of a medieval Book of Hours . At Southampton, the fleet embarks, and lands in France, beginning a campaign that tears through France to Harfleur , where Henry’s forces lay siege. At the siege, Henry delivers his first rousing speech to his troops: “Once more… unto the breach! Dear friends, once more!” The troops charge on Harfleur, and take it as their own. The troops then march to Agincourt , meeting the French forces. Before the impending battle, Henry wanders around the camp in disguise, to find out what the men think of him.

The next day, before the battle, Henry delivers his famous Saint Crispin’s Day speech. The Battle of Agincourt then commences. This sequence is filmed on location in a realist style, unlike the stylised sets seen previously; [5] however, the Technicolor is still very bright and somewhat larger than life, unlike the same scene in the later Kenneth Branagh version . The English archers let forth a volley of arrows that cuts deeply into the French numbers. The French, weighed down by their heavy armour, are caught in the fresh mud of the field, and are bogged down, which gives the English troops ample opportunity to ride out and fight them on equal terms. The French Dauphin ( Max Adrian ), seeing this disadvantage, watches as several bodyguards and noblemen including the Constable of France ride toward the English camp and kills all the boys and squires, prompting a tearful Fluellen to state that ‘this is expressly against the law of arms’. Henry is angered by this and rides out to meet the French Constable ( Leo Genn ). Fighting each other, one-on-one, swords in hand, the Constable strikes Henry in the head, shaking him.

Henry turns and continues to fight the Constable, who sheaths his sword in favour of a mace. The Constable then strikes Henry’s hand, causing him to drop his sword. Henry, now disarmed, lashes out and strikes the Constable in the face with his gauntlet, causing him to fall to the ground and presumably killing him. The battle is won. Henry then proceeds to court the Princess Katherine ( Renée Asherson ); the film now returns to the stylised sets. Henry woos Katherine, and France is now under the control of England, as the French King, Charles VI adopts Henry as his successor. In the final moments of the play, we return to the Globe Theatre again, and the actors take their bows. Cast Laurence Olivier as King Henry V of England . Henry is the King of England, who is insulted by the French and compelled to invade them. He is a warrior king, who commands his troops from the front. This was Laurence Olivier’s third Oscar-nominated performance, and his second appearance in a Shakespeare film. Renée Asherson as Princess Katherine . Katherine is wooed by Henry and becomes his wife. Valentine Dyall as the Duke of Burgundy .

Burgundy is a French nobleman. Production Winston Churchill instructed Olivier to fashion the film as morale-boosting propaganda for British troops fighting World War II . The making and release of the film coincided with the Allied invasion of Normandy and push into France. An early preview trailer of the film showed contemporary London just before cutting to the film’s aerial footage of London in 1600. Screenplay Olivier intentionally left out some of Henry’s harsher traits as Shakespeare wrote them – such as his threat to unleash his troops to rape and pillage Harfleur and his remorseless beheading of the three Southampton Plot traitors , Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge ; Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham ; and Sir Thomas Grey , as well as his refusal to stop the hanging of Bardolph for looting. The melancholy reference at the end of the play to how England under Henry VI eventually lost France is also omitted. Casting Hundreds of locals were hired as extras for the Agincourt battle scenes filmed in neutral Ireland in 1943. The production company paid an additional pound to anyone who brought his own horse.

[6] Olivier agreed not to appear in another film for 18 months to reduce any detraction from the promotion of Henry V. In return, he was paid £ 15,000, tax-free (about £460,000 in today’s money). [7] Esmond Knight , who plays the patriotic Welsh soldier Fluellen was a wounded veteran of the war. He had been badly injured in 1941 while on active service on board HMS Prince of Wales when she was attacked by the Bismarck , and remained totally blind for two years. He had only just regained some sight in his right eye. Filming 1942: Overseas newspaper correspondents inspect a beer barrel and tent ‘at Agincourt’, part of the set built for the production of ‘Henry V’ at Denham Studios. The film was shot on location at the Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry , County Wicklow , Ireland . The interior sets were constructed at the Denham Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. They were based on illustrations from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry the illustrator of which is also a character in the play.

The film, which was photographed in three-strip Technicolor , was hailed by critics for its ebulliently colourful sets and costumes, as well as for Olivier’s masterful direction and acting. Pauline Kael called the movie “a triumph of color, music, spectacle and soaring heroic poetry”. [8] James Agee reported, in Time magazine ‘s 8 April 1946 issue, that a remarkable 75 percent of the color footage shot was used in the final release. In 2007, the film was digitally restored to High Definition format and re-released. [9] As part of the BBC Summer of British Film series in 2007, it was shown at selected cinemas across the UK. Film music The score by William Walton is considered a classic film score, and excerpts from it, such as the orchestral Suite from Henry V , have been performed in concert. A recording of the score arranged by Christopher Palmer , with actor Christopher Plummer reading the speeches given by the Chorus, Henry V, and the Duke of Burgundy, was released in 1990 under the title Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario.

The score incorporates elements from a well-known vocal adaptation of French folk-songs called Chants d’Auvergne by Joseph Canteloube . The 2007 re-release of Sir Neville Marriner ‘s recording of the score also includes original versions of earlier music by composers whose works were incorporated into the score, including selections from Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne. A section of the track “The Battle of Agincourt” were used by the BBC for their Election Night Result programme in 1959 and 1964. The film was meant to cost £350,000 but ended up costing nearly £500,000. [10] Reception The film was highly acclaimed around the world. James Agee, who reviewed it three separate times for three different publications, called it “one of the cinema’s great works of art”. It earned over $1 million in rentals in the US. [11] However, due to its high production cost and Entertainment Tax it did not go into profit for Rank until 1949. [12] It earned United Artists profit of $1.62 million.

[2] The film is believed to have been the first film to have successfully solved problems relating to the rendering of the Bard on screen. Mary Pickford’s 1929 Taming of the Shrew retained little of Shakespeare’s dialogue having started production as a silent film. Max Reinhardt’s 1935 A Midsummer’s Night Dream for Warner Bros. received moderately good or mixed reviews, but didn’t quite achieve acclaim. That next year saw a lackluster British film of As You Like It starring Olivier and scored by William Walton who scored all the Shakespeare films directed by Olivier. However, it was the spectacular flop that same year of MGM’s Romeo and Juliet that caused Hollywood to stay away from Shakespeare. In 2007, Military History Magazine listed this production 75th among “The 100 Greatest War Movies.” [13] Academy Awards Henry V (1944 film) Henry V (1944 film) £475,708 (or $2 million) [2] [3] Box office over $2 million [4] Henry V is a 1944 British Technicolor film adaptation of William Shakespeare ‘s play of the same name .

The on-screen title is The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France (the title of the 1600 quarto edition of the play). It stars Laurence Olivier , who also directed. The play was adapted for the screen by Olivier, Dallas Bower, and Alan Dent . The score is by William Walton . The film begins as a recreation of a stage production of the play in the Globe Theatre , then gradually turns into a stylised cinematic rendition of the play, with sets reminiscent of a medieval Book of Hours . It follows the overall pattern of Shakespeare’s play, depicting Henry’s campaign in France, through the siege of Harfleur . The film then shows the Battle of Agincourt in a real setting, after which the film quickly begins to revert to backdrops that are once again more and more like medieval illuminated manuscripts. We then see the negotiations for Treaty of Troyes and Henry’s courtship of Princess Katherine followed by their marriage. At the end of the scene, the setting reverts to the Globe Playhouse and the audience applauding. The film was made near the end of World War II and was intended as a morale booster for Britain.

Consequently, the film was partly funded by the British government. The film was originally “dedicated to the ‘Commandos and Airborne Troops of Great Britain the spirit of whose ancestors it has been humbly attempted to recapture.’” The movie won Olivier an Academy Honorary Award for “his Outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director in bringing Henry V to the screen.” Olivier’s Henry V is widely considered the first Shakespeare film to be both artistically and commercially successful. Contents 7 External links Plot We see a panorama of London in 1600 and travel to the Globe Theatre where the audience is being seated. The Chorus ( Leslie Banks ) enters and implores the audience to use their imagination to visualise the setting of the play. We then see, up on a balcony, two clergymen, The Archbishop of Canterbury ( Felix Aylmer ), and the Bishop of Ely ( Robert Helpmann ) discussing the current affairs of state. Henry ( Laurence Olivier ) then enters, and discusses with his nobles the state of France. A gift is delivered to Henry from the French Dauphin . The gift turns out to be tennis balls, a jibe at Henry’s youth and inexperience.

Offended, Henry sends the French ambassador away, and prepares to claim the French throne, a throne that he believes is rightfully his. We then see characters from Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays: Corporal Nym (Frederick Cooper), Bardolph ( Roy Emerton ), and Pistol ( Robert Newton ). These characters resolve to join Henry’s army, however, before they do, Falstaff ( George Robey ), another returning character, and one of the King’s former mentors, dies. At this point, the film gradually ceases to be located in the Globe Theatre; instead the scenes are performed in stylised film sets reminiscent of a medieval Book of Hours . At Southampton, the fleet embarks, and lands in France, beginning a campaign that tears through France to Harfleur , where Henry’s forces lay siege. At the siege, Henry delivers his first rousing speech to his troops: “Once more… unto the breach! Dear friends, once more!” The troops charge on Harfleur, and take it as their own. The troops then march to Agincourt , meeting the French forces. Before the impending battle, Henry wanders around the camp in disguise, to find out what the men think of him.

The next day, before the battle, Henry delivers his famous Saint Crispin’s Day speech. The Battle of Agincourt then commences. This sequence is filmed on location in a realist style, unlike the stylised sets seen previously; [5] however, the Technicolor is still very bright and somewhat larger than life, unlike the same scene in the later Kenneth Branagh version . The English archers let forth a volley of arrows that cuts deeply into the French numbers. The French, weighed down by their heavy armour, are caught in the fresh mud of the field, and are bogged down, which gives the English troops ample opportunity to ride out and fight them on equal terms. The French Dauphin ( Max Adrian ), seeing this disadvantage, watches as several bodyguards and noblemen including the Constable of France ride toward the English camp and kills all the boys and squires, prompting a tearful Fluellen to state that ‘this is expressly against the law of arms’. Henry is angered by this and rides out to meet the French Constable ( Leo Genn ). Fighting each other, one-on-one, swords in hand, the Constable strikes Henry in the head, shaking him.

Henry turns and continues to fight the Constable, who sheaths his sword in favour of a mace. The Constable then strikes Henry’s hand, causing him to drop his sword. Henry, now disarmed, lashes out and strikes the Constable in the face with his gauntlet, causing him to fall to the ground and presumably killing him. The battle is won. Henry then proceeds to court the Princess Katherine ( Renée Asherson ); the film now returns to the stylised sets. Henry woos Katherine, and France is now under the control of England, as the French King, Charles VI adopts Henry as his successor. In the final moments of the play, we return to the Globe Theatre again, and the actors take their bows. Cast Laurence Olivier as King Henry V of England . Henry is the King of England, who is insulted by the French and compelled to invade them. He is a warrior king, who commands his troops from the front. This was Laurence Olivier’s third Oscar-nominated performance, and his second appearance in a Shakespeare film. Renée Asherson as Princess Katherine . Katherine is wooed by Henry and becomes his wife. Valentine Dyall as the Duke of Burgundy .

Burgundy is a French nobleman. Production Winston Churchill instructed Olivier to fashion the film as morale-boosting propaganda for British troops fighting World War II . The making and release of the film coincided with the Allied invasion of Normandy and push into France. An early preview trailer of the film showed contemporary London just before cutting to the film’s aerial footage of London in 1600. Screenplay Olivier intentionally left out some of Henry’s harsher traits as Shakespeare wrote them – such as his threat to unleash his troops to rape and pillage Harfleur and his remorseless beheading of the three Southampton Plot traitors , Richard of Conisburgh, 3rd Earl of Cambridge ; Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham ; and Sir Thomas Grey , as well as his refusal to stop the hanging of Bardolph for looting. The melancholy reference at the end of the play to how England under Henry VI eventually lost France is also omitted. Casting Hundreds of locals were hired as extras for the Agincourt battle scenes filmed in neutral Ireland in 1943. The production company paid an additional pound to anyone who brought his own horse.

[6] Olivier agreed not to appear in another film for 18 months to reduce any detraction from the promotion of Henry V. In return, he was paid £ 15,000, tax-free (about £460,000 in today’s money). [7] Esmond Knight , who plays the patriotic Welsh soldier Fluellen was a wounded veteran of the war. He had been badly injured in 1941 while on active service on board HMS Prince of Wales when she was attacked by the Bismarck , and remained totally blind for two years. He had only just regained some sight in his right eye. Filming 1942: Overseas newspaper correspondents inspect a beer barrel and tent ‘at Agincourt’, part of the set built for the production of ‘Henry V’ at Denham Studios. The film was shot on location at the Powerscourt Estate in Enniskerry , County Wicklow , Ireland . The interior sets were constructed at the Denham Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. They were based on illustrations from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry the illustrator of which is also a character in the play.

The film, which was photographed in three-strip Technicolor , was hailed by critics for its ebulliently colourful sets and costumes, as well as for Olivier’s masterful direction and acting. Pauline Kael called the movie “a triumph of color, music, spectacle and soaring heroic poetry”. [8] James Agee reported, in Time magazine ‘s 8 April 1946 issue, that a remarkable 75 percent of the color footage shot was used in the final release. In 2007, the film was digitally restored to High Definition format and re-released. [9] As part of the BBC Summer of British Film series in 2007, it was shown at selected cinemas across the UK. Film music The score by William Walton is considered a classic film score, and excerpts from it, such as the orchestral Suite from Henry V , have been performed in concert. A recording of the score arranged by Christopher Palmer , with actor Christopher Plummer reading the speeches given by the Chorus, Henry V, and the Duke of Burgundy, was released in 1990 under the title Henry V: A Shakespeare Scenario.

The score incorporates elements from a well-known vocal adaptation of French folk-songs called Chants d’Auvergne by Joseph Canteloube . The 2007 re-release of Sir Neville Marriner ‘s recording of the score also includes original versions of earlier music by composers whose works were incorporated into the score, including selections from Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne. A section of the track “The Battle of Agincourt” were used by the BBC for their Election Night Result programme in 1959 and 1964. The film was meant to cost £350,000 but ended up costing nearly £500,000. [10] Reception The film was highly acclaimed around the world. James Agee, who reviewed it three separate times for three different publications, called it “one of the cinema’s great works of art”. It earned over $1 million in rentals in the US. [11] However, due to its high production cost and Entertainment Tax it did not go into profit for Rank until 1949. [12] It earned United Artists profit of $1.62 million.

[2] The film is believed to have been the first film to have successfully solved problems relating to the rendering of the Bard on screen. Mary Pickford’s 1929 Taming of the Shrew retained little of Shakespeare’s dialogue having started production as a silent film. Max Reinhardt’s 1935 A Midsummer’s Night Dream for Warner Bros. received moderately good or mixed reviews, but didn’t quite achieve acclaim. That next year saw a lackluster British film of As You Like It starring Olivier and scored by William Walton who scored all the Shakespeare films directed by Olivier. However, it was the spectacular flop that same year of MGM’s Romeo and Juliet that caused Hollywood to stay away from Shakespeare.

In 2007, Military History Magazine listed this production 75th among “The 100 Greatest War Movies.” [13] Academy Awards Map of Henry V (1944 film) - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki Henry V (1944 film): Map Advertisements Top rankings for Henry V (1944 film) 89th Medieval ">Top costume drama films: Medieval 34th Elizabethan">Top costume drama films: Renaissance / Elizabethan Wikipedia article: Map showing all locations mentioned on Wikipedia article: Henry V is a 1944 film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's play of the same name . The on-screen title is The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France (the title of the 1600 quarto edition of the play). It stars Laurence Olivier , who also directed. The play was adapted for the screen by Olivier, Dallas Bower, and Alan Dent. The score is by William Walton .

The film begins as a recreation of a stage production of the play in the Globe Theatre , then gradually turns into a stylized cinematic rendition of the play, with sets reminiscent of a medieval Book of Hours . It follows the overall pattern of Shakespeare's play, depicting Henry's campaign in France, through the siege of Harfleur and eventually to Agincourt . The film then shows the Battle of Agincourt in a real setting, after which the film quickly begins to revert to backdrops that conversely now become more and more artificial. It ends with Henry's courtship of Princess Katherine . At the end of the scene, the setting reverts to the Globe Playhouse and the audience applauding. The film was made near the end of World War II and was intended as a morale booster for Britain . Consequently, the film was partly funded by the British government. The movie won Olivier an Academy Honorary Award for "his Outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director in bringing Henry V to the screen." Production The original setting was inaccessible, as it was located in German-occupied France at the time, so the film was shot in Enniskerry , Co.Wicklow, Ireland .

Photographed in three-strip Technicolor , the picture was hailed by critics for its ebulliently colorful sets and costumes, as well as for Olivier's masterful direction and acting. Pauline Kael called the movie "a triumph of color, music, spectacle and soaring heroic poetry" . James Agee reported, in Time magazine 's April 8, 1946 issue, that a remarkable 75 percent of the color footage shot was used in the final release. Even by British standards, this was an exceptionally high figure. For a first-time director it was unheard of. Olivier agreed not to appear in a film for 18 months to encourage this one to attract as large an audience as possible. In return, he was paid £ 15,000, tax-free (about £460,000 in today's money). In 2007, the film was digitally restored to High Definition format and re-released. Plot The film begins in the Globe Theatre in 1600. The Chorus ( Leslie Banks ) enters and implores the audience to use their imagination to visualize the setting of the play.

We then see, up on a balcony, two clergymen, The Archbishop of Canterbury ( Felix Aylmer ), and the Bishop of Ely ( Robert Helpmann ) discussing the current affairs of state. Henry ( Laurence Olivier ) then enters, and discusses with his nobles the state of France. A gift is delivered to Henry from the French Dauphin . The gift turns out to be tennis balls. Offended, Henry sends the French ambassador away, and prepares to claim the French throne, a throne that he believes is rightfully his. We then see characters from Shakespeare's Henry IV plays: Nym ( Frederick Cooper ), Bardolph ( Roy Emerton ), and Pistol ( Robert Newton ). These characters resolve to join Henry's army, however, before they do, Falstaff ( George Robey ), another returning character, and one of the King's former mentors, dies. At this point, the film gradually ceases to be located in the Globe Theatre; instead the scenes are performed in stylized film sets reminiscent of a medieval Book of Hours . At Southampton, the fleet debarks, and lands in France, beginning a campaign that tears through France to Harfleur , where Henry's forces lay siege.

At the siege, Henry delivers his first rousing speech to his troops: "Once more... unto the breach! Dear friends, once more!" The troops charge on Harfleur, and take it as their own. The troops then march to Agincourt , meeting the French forces. Before the impending battle, Henry wanders around the camp in disguise, to find out what the men think of him. The next day, before the battle, Henry delivers his famous Saint Crispin's Day speech. The Battle of Agincourt then commences. This sequence is filmed on location in a realist style, unlike the stylized sets seen previously; however, the Technicolor is still very bright and somewhat larger than life, unlike the same scene in the later Kenneth Branagh version . The English archers let forth a volley of arrows that cuts deeply into the French numbers. The French, weighed down by their heavy armour, are caught in the fresh mud of the field, and are bogged down, which gives the English troops ample opportunity to ride out and fight them on equal terms. The French Dauphin ( Max Adrian ), seeing this disadvantage, rides out with several bodyguards and noblemen, and kills all the boys and squires in the English camp.

Henry is angered by this and rides out to meet the French Constable ( Leo Genn ). Fighting each other, one-on-one, swords in hand, the Constable strikes Henry in the head, shaking him. Henry turns and continues to fight the Constable, who sheaths his sword in favour of a mace. The Constable then strikes Henry's hand, causing him to drop his sword. Henry, now disarmed, lashes out and strikes the Constable in the face with his gauntlet, presumably killing him. The battle is won. Henry then proceeds to court the Princess Katherine ( Renee Asherson ); the film now returns to the stylized sets. Henry woos Katherine, and France is now under the control of England, as the French King, Charles VI adopts Henry as his successor. In the final moments of the play, we return to the Globe Theatre again, and the actors take their bows. Wartime context Winston Churchill instructed Olivier to fashion the film as morale-boosting propaganda for British troops fighting World War II . The making and release of the film coincided with the Allied invasion of Normandy and push into France.

The opening sequence dedicates the movie to Britain's forces, the "spirit of whose ancestors" the caption says the film attempts to capture. Olivier intentionally left out some of Henry's harsher traits as Shakespeare wrote them - such as his threat to unleash his troops to rape and pillage Harfleur and his remorseless hanging of three traitors , as well as of one of his good friends, Bardolph . The melancholy reference at the end of the play to how England under Henry VI eventually "lost France" is also omitted. Esmond Knight , who plays the patriotic Welsh soldier Fluellen was a wounded veteran of the war. He had been badly injured in 1941 while on active service on board HMS Prince of Wales when she was attacked by the Bismarck , and remained totally blind for two years. He had only just regained some sight in his right eye. Cast Listed in order of appearance. Leslie Banks as the Chorus. The Chorus sets the scene for the play and film, giving the required exposition. Leslie Banks was an actor who had appeared with Olivier in Fire Over England . Felix Aylmer as the Archbishop of Canterbury . The Archbishop helps tempt the King into his conquest of France.

Olivier stages this scene partly as comedy, with the actor who plays the Archbishop in the Globe Theatre comically jumbling all his papers and losing his place in the script. Aylmer had appeared with Olivier in As You Like It , and would subsequently appear in Hamlet . Robert Helpmann as the Bishop of Ely. The Bishop helps the Archbishop in his persuasion of the King. In the film, he appears as a comic figure. Robert Helpmann was better-known as a ballet dancer and choreographer . The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift With His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France (Film, Historical Drama): Reviews, Ratings, Cast and Crew - Rate Your Music Expand alternate titles [+8] Hide alternate titles 4 Reviews mburgh Feb 21 2011 During WWII, all the belligerents made Nationalist Epics. In America, the big budget technicolor epics tended toward fantasy, such as Cover Girl. In Nazi Germany, the epics tended towards stories of overcoming foreign invaders through purity and joy. These films have been repressed (rightly so).

In Russia, the films were tight, claustrophobic psychological studies of power, such as Ivan the Terrible I & II, or joy through defeating invading Teutons. For England, however, the Nationalist Militarist Epic had a long, long history in the form of Shakespeare's History Plays. While most of the history plays concern civil war, the most exuberant of them, Henry V, concerns foreign war, adventurism, and victory over great odds, just the ticket. Olivier marshaled literal great forces for his films (as did Eisenstein, Goebbels, and MGM) actually taking soldiers from the army in dire times to play the English Army fighting (once again) in France. Technicolor was a lavish process, adding much to the budget. As in the USSR and The 3rd Reich, the Government took up the slack. Olivier is a competent but not singular director, more in tune to the traditions of Shakespeare as performed on the English Stage, rather than as a film director. One important aspect of this Henry V was that Olivier turned down the lights, giving the film a moody look, when appropriate.

Only John Ford, in 1939's Drums Along the Mohawk, tried to create the same low-key effects in the superslow film format (ISO 4-6). The performances are standard RSC for the era, and have the feel of expectedness as opposed to surprise, and the shots feel stagey. Olivier's loyalty to the stage influenced the other Shakespeare films he directed, a noirish Hamlet (1948) and a gaudy Richard III (1954), each, like Henry V, starring himself. More an artifact of WWII than a vibrant Shakespeare film, Henry V offers faith, hope, whimsey, romance, and above all, victory. Published chrismass61 Feb 20 2011 I vividly remember how I marveled on the visual splendor of this movie, years ago. And I still do, years after. It begins as a stage play in the Globe Theater, in 1600, and then moves in live sets, but always with heavily stylized elements.

The funny thing is that this anti-French story is visually inspired by les Très riches heures du Duc de Berry , a stunning French illuminated manuscript from the 13th century. I won't pick on details. It is a beautiful movie, and for once I am with the critics and the Oscar. Published atomicWedgie Sep 10 2010 From this day to the ending of the world, but we in it shall be remembered; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, this day shall gentle his condition; and gentlemen in England now a-bed shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whilest any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day. OK. Fine. I'll say it. I mean, somebody has to, for Pete's sake. This film is a train wreck. There. Now it's out in the open. It doesn't please me to say so. I love Shakespeare .

I prefer to see his plays live rather than on film, but there have been a few really great films made of his plays, including Kenneth Branagh's far superior Henry V . Olivier's film isn't without merit, mind you, it's just incredibly inconsistent in quality and temperament. Ultimately, it's a disappointment. Now, to be fair inconsistency was clearly purposeful, and understandably so considering the approach taken. The film starts out on the stage at the Globe Theatre in London, the year being 1600. The first few scenes are played out on the stage, then move to bigger sets and exteriors, then ultimately back to the Globe stage to end the film. Some sets are fairly realistic, others are nothing more than painted cardboard backdrops. It's a fun approach, and more of a strength than a weakness. I was often reminded of Murnau's Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage [Faust: A German Folk Legend] and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans as I watched Henry V, which also made use of miniatures and unrealistic sets to similar effect. The real problem with this film is that it feels like a highlight reel of scenes from the play rather than a coherent film. Nothing ties the scenes together.

I might think Shakespeare should be blamed had I not also seen Branagh's film, which flows and swirls as a Shakespeare drama rightly should. No, Olivier just didn't put together a whole film, only a number of stitched-together scenes, some more interesting than others. It needs to be noted that this movie was made and released in Great Britain during World War II. The best scene in the film is the "band of brothers" speech, which was rousing even in the theater full of peace-loving Berkeley liberals in which I saw it. I can only imagine how this scene played in theaters in England in 1945. Effort seems to have been taken to emphasize the patriotic aspects of the drama. That's understandable, but it doesn't really help the quality of the movie. Quite honestly, this film has about as much depth to it as The Adventures of Robin Hood , but it's not nearly as fun. Published At_SwimTwoBirds Oct 28 2009 Henry V is an interesting film, but one that has flaws and faults - especially if one has read the play.

The film (which received some funding from the British government) was intended as patriotic propaganda, and there is little to no attempt to disguise or subvert this in any way. Although at the time, the traditional critical opinion of the play held that it was also intended as a propaganda piece, any reading of the (complete and unedited, proper First Folio version) it is plain to see that Shakespeare actually intended Henry V to be something quite different from the unjudgemental praise of Henry and his campaign against France that is shown in this film. Most of the scenes that show this other side to the play (Henry's threats of rape and slaughter at Harfleur, the exposing and execution of the traitors, large sections involving Pistol, Henry's extended prayer before the battle, and even the epilogue's mention of the loss of France under Henry VI) have been carefully removed from the film. None of these omissions have much effect on the thrust of the plot, though obviously they completely change the tone of the film. There are a few other changes to the play, changes not brought about by censorship.

The playing of Canterbury's explanation and examination of the Salic law as a comedic moment was an inspired choice; in the play he merely talks and talks and references a parade of increasingly obscure figures until his (shakey) reasoning for discounting the law is lost in the verbosity – which allows him to not have said reasoning examined closely by the king. Here, the addition of Ely's frustrated throwing of the legal papers and the ensuring pauses in Canterbury's speech make the line of thought even more difficult to follow, as well as exploiting the comedy inherent in the situation. The other (and most obvious) change is the addition of a full-scale depiction of the Battle of Agincourt (the play has a scene showing Pistol capturing a French nobleman, not in the film, and that is all of the actual battle therein). I am not entirely sure how accurate it is (the English win, I know that much is true) but it's an uneven depiction of a battle (Alexander Nevsky has a similar and far superior battle scene) with the initial French charge being wonderfully shown, as is the forest scene, but much of the rest of it being somewhat static and slow.

One moment of humour in the battle comes with Henry's duel with the Constable (a French nobleman), who disarms Henry with his mace and prepares his killing blow only to be himself killed and knocked off his horse when Henry punches him in the face. One of the features of the play which is ingeniously adapted for the film is the Chorus, in particular his constant asking of the audience to aid the players by using their imaginations to depict the great scenes in the play. This is dealt with quite well; the film begins in 17th century (1600) London, the camera panning over to the Globe playhouse where a performance of Henry V is about to begin. It is similar to a filmed version of a theatrical production (except that the viewer is allowed to see the audience, as well as backstage) until about the ending scenes of Act 2, when it turns into a "proper" cinema depiction of the play, before going back to the Globe in the final scene of Act 5. This allows the modern viewers to see the major scenes with "imagined wing", as the Chorus asks.

The one problem with this is that the transition to the "movie" version should have come far sooner than it did; I was expecting it to do so in Act 1, afterwards assuming that the rest of the film would show this faux-original performance – meaning that the changeover was quite jarring when it finally did happen. It's a good idea that was just not very well applied. The acting throughout is excellent: it is unsurprising to learn that many of the actors were primarily stage actors who had appeared in many Shakespeare plays before filming Henry V. Sometimes the acting is a little too heavy and over-emphasised (see the scene where Fluellen abuses Pistol) and it's a little odd to hear the French noblemen speak with English accents, but these are minor things; Olivier is entirely convincing as Henry, and makes him an interesting, likeable character (despite most of what makes the character interesting ending up being removed) and he is supported by a uniformly strong cast. The score is perhaps a weak point.

It is a good enough score, but compared to the score written by Prokofiev for Alexander Nevsky (again a primary point of comparison, at least in my understanding of 30s/40s historical epics), Walton's pieces don't seem to mesh as well with what is on-screen, especially during the battle scene. But this is hardly a major weakness. Overall, Olivier's Henry V is interesting as an example of cinema-as-propaganda, and in that context as an adaption of Shakespeare's play (in terms of the differences and divergences from the source) and is a reasonably entertaining film with excellent performances. If you are seeking an accurate setting of the play that includes the less glorious aspects of Henry and his campaign however, then you should look elsewhere. Published Votes are used to help determine the most interesting content on RYM. Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term. Vote down content which breaks the rules.

BBC Two England - 25 December 1972 - BBC Genome LAURENCE OLIVIER 'S famous film - starring Costume designer ROGER FURSE Music by WILLIAM WALTON Producer and director LAURENCE OLIVIER (Christmas films: pages 17-19) Contributors Unknown: William Shakespeare Unknown: Laurence Olivier Director: Paul Sheriff Designer: Roger Furse Music By: William Walton Director: Laurence Olivier King Henry V: Laurence Olivier Ancient Pistol: Robert Newton Chorus: Leslie Banks Princess Katharine: Renee Asherson Fluellen: Esmond Knight Constable of France: Leo Genn Montjoy, a French Herald: Ralph Truman King Charles VI of France: Harcourt Williams Alice, lady-in-waiting: Ivy St Helier Duke of Berri, French Ambassador: Ernest Thesiger The Dauphin: Max Adrian Duke of: Orleans Francislister Duke of Burgundy: Valentine Dyall Duke of Bourbon: Russell Thorndike Gower, Captain in English Army: Michael Shepley Jamy, Captain in English Camp: John Laurie MacMorris, Captain in English Army: Niall MacGinnis Archbishop of Canterbury: Felix Aylmer Duke of Exeter: Nicholas

 Hannen Duke of Ely: Robert Helpmann Mistress Quickly: Freda Jackson Williams, soldier in English camp: Jimmy Hanley Sir John Falstaff: George Robey 17.15 A duel of words and wit between Frank Muir Jean Marsh , Miles Kington and Patrick Campbell Anne Stallybrass Douglas Fairbanks Jr Call My Bluff devised by MARK GOODSON and BILL TODMAN Director PEGGY WALKER Producer JOHNNY DOWNNES (from Manchester) Contributors Unknown: Frank Muir Unknown: Jean Marsh Unknown: Patrick Campbell Unknown: Anne Stallybrass Unknown: Douglas Fairbanks Unknown: Robert Robinson Unknown: Mark Goodson Unknown: Bill Todman Director: Peggy Walker Producer: Johnny Downnes 17.45 by Berlioz A musical evocation of the familiar story of the Holy Family's flight into Egypt.

' I hear on all sides that your oratorio is a perfect bouquet of sweet flowers of melody and a masterpiece of simplicity.' (HEINE to BERLIOZ) Part 1 The Dream of Herod Part 2 The Flight into Egypt Part 3 The Arrival at Sais Sung in Lincoln Cathedral in a dramatised English version by PAUL ENGLAND to mark the 900th Anniversary of Lincoln's founding.

CHOIR OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA leader RODNEY FRIEND conducted by David Willcocks Costumes designed by PAT FISHER Make-up SHIRLEY CHANNING-WILLIAM S Sound GRAHAM HAINES Lighting BRYAN WJLKES Designer DAVID WYERSCOUGH-JONES Producer BRIAN LARGE Contributors Unknown: Paul England Conducted By: David Willcocks Designed By: Pat Fisher Unknown: Shirley Channing-William Unknown: Graham Haines Unknown: Bryan Wjlkes Designer: David Wyerscough-Jones Producer: Brian Large The Narrator: Robert Tear Herod: Norman Bailey Mary: Josephine Veasey Joseph JOHN: Shi Rley-Quirk Ishmaelite Father: Norman Bailey 19.25 : The Stallion by DAVID ROOK and JOHN KING with Peter Arne A black arab stallion escapes on Dartmoor and ' runs wild.' It steals mares from a pony trader who lives there. The story tells, without words, of the man's efforts to capture it.

Roundup Rider PAUL DOUGLAS The Stallion MORFAX Film editor CHARLES ALDRIDGE Film cameramen EWART NEEDHAM and BERNARD HEDGES Director JOHN KING (from Bristol) Contributors Unknown: David Rook Unknown: John King Unknown: Peter Arne Unknown: Paul Douglas Editor: Charles Aldridge Editor: Bernard Hedges Director: John King 20.15 A film from French Television of a romantic ballet first performed at the Paris Opera 140 years ago. The story is set in the Scottish Highlands: La Sylphide, a spirit of the air, falls in love with a human boy.

'La Sylphide'.GHISLAINE THESMAR Music by JEAN SCHNEITZHOFFER played by the ORCHESTRE ORTF DE LILLE conductor MAURICE SUZAN Adaptation and choreography PIERRE LACOTTE after PHILIPPE TAGLIONI Scenery MARIE-CLAIRE MUSSON Costumes MICHEL FRESNAY after CICERI and LAMY Producer YVES ANDRÉ HUBERT (An ORTF production) Contributors Unknown: Ghislaine Thesmar Music By: Jean Schneitzhoffer Conductor: Maurice Suzan Unknown: Pierre Lacotte Unknown: Philippe Taglioni Unknown: Marie-Claire Musson Unknown: Michel Fresnay Producer: Yves AndrÃ© Hubert James: Michael Denard Effie: Laurence Nerval The Witch: Mathe Souverbie The Mother: Yvette Bouland 21.25 starring Michael Bryant and Jane Asher with lain Cuthbertson, Michael Bates and Reginald Marsh Eddie: Analyse a spook? Brock: They once had a go at it with bell, book and candle. Well we are better equipped.

Everything we get, Jill's going to programme on the computer. Contributors Writer: Nigel Kneale Music and Special Sound: Desmond Briscoe, BBC Radiophonic Workshop Script Editor: Louis Marks Designer: Richard Henry Producer: Innes Lloyd Director: Peter Sasdy Jill: Jane Asher Collinson: Iain Cuthbertson Peter Brock: Michael Bryant Eddie: Michael Bates Hargrave: Tom Chadbon Maudsley: John Forgeham Dow: James Cosmo Stewart: Philip Trewinnard Sergeant: Neil Wilson Bar helper: Hilda Fenemore Bar lady: Peggy Marshall Alan: Michael Graham Cox Vicar: Christopher Banks Crawshaw: Reginald Marsh 22.55 programme records About this project This site contains the BBC listings information which the BBC printed in Radio Times between 1923 and 2009. You can search the site for BBC programmes, people, dates and Radio Times editions. We hope it helps you find that long forgotten BBC programme, research a particular person or browse your own involvement with the BBC. Through the listings, you will also be able to find thousands of radio and TV programmes that are already available to view or listen to on the BBC website.

This is a historical record of both the planned output and the BBC services of any given time. It should be viewed in this context and with the understanding that it reflects the attitudes and standards of its time - not those of today. Find out more Welcome to BBC Genome Genome is a digitised version of the Radio Times from 1923 to 2009 and is made available for internal research purposes only. You will need to obtain the relevant third party permissions for any other use, including use in programmes, online etc. This internal version of Genome, which includes all the magazine covers, PDF downloads, images and articles as well as the programme listings from the Radio Times, is different to the version of Genome that is available externally/to the public. Please do not share this internal version of Genome, or any part of it, with anyone external. For rights reasons, external users may only have access to the Radio Times listings, which will be available in the external version of Genome. Your use of this version of Genome is covered by the BBC Acceptable Use of Information Systems Policy and these terms. Please tick to indicate that you understand the above and agree not to share any material from this version of Genome externally.

OK Download movie The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France. Watch The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France online. Download The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France in HD, DVD, Divx and ipod quality. Download free movie The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France preview. Anthony Newley Boy in English camp (uncredited) In the inspired Olivier concept, Shakespeare's play begins as a performance in the Globe Theatre, shifting in broad cinematic terms to an epic narrative of Henry V, who had developed from a dissolute youth to a purposeful monarch. Proving his ability as a soldier and skillful leader, he unites the dissident factions in the English army and goes on to crush the French, against enormous odds, at Agincourt. Arranging a treaty with the French court, he woos Princess Katharine to whom he is formally betrothed as part of the peace agreement.

In the inspired Olivier concept, Shakespeare's play begins as a performance in the Globe Theatre, shifting in broad cinematic terms to an epic narrative of Henry V, who had developed from a dissolute youth to a purposeful monarch. Proving his ability as a soldier and skillful leader, he unites the dissident factions in the English army and goes on to crush the French, against enormous odds, at Agincourt. Arranging a treaty with the French court, he woos Princess Katharine to whom he is formally betrothed as part of the peace agreement.

Question: In which 1944 film does Felix Aylmer play the Archbishop of Canterbury, Max Adrian play the Dauphin and John Laurie play Jamy, a Scottish Captain in the English Army?
Answer: HENRY V